Authorities enforcing sweepstakes ban

The Carteret County Sheriff’s Office and Newport Police Department worked together to check on businesses operating as a sweepstakes café and numerous convenience stores where such gaming machines were operated.

Authorities in Carteret County began taking steps Thursday to enforce a statewide ban on sweepstakes gaming as it went into effect.

The Carteret County Sheriff’s Office and Newport Police Department worked together to check on businesses operating as a sweepstakes café and numerous convenience stores where such gaming machines were operated.

According to a news release issued Thursday, two of the 13 businesses checked were out of compliance with the ban.

The N.C. Supreme recently upheld the constitutionality of the ban and a subsequent request by the gaming industry to stay the decision while it prepared a case for the U.S. Supreme Court was denied.

On its website, the N.C. Sheriff’s Association said that with denial of the stay, enforcement could resume on Jan. 3.

In Carteret County, the businesses that had operating machines agreed to comply with the ban without incident.

The Sweepstakes Warehouse, located at Courtesy Town Square in Newport, and H & D Express, located on N.C. 24 in Broad Creek, were cooperative and shut down machines upon request, the sheriff’s office said.

Of the 11 remaining businesses, some had locked doors with signs saying they were closed until further notice and others had machines already shut off and unplugged.

The Shop-N-Bag store on Chatham Street in Newport had its five machines covered in shrink wrap before authorities arrived.

Authorities note that anyone who violates the ban by putting machines back in operation may be charged with a Class I misdemeanor for the first offense, a Class H felony for the second offense and a Class G felony for a third or subsequent offense.